Why electric makes sense

Electric cooktops are more than twice as energy efficient as gas cookers, and cost less to run.*

Induction cooktops are the most energy efficient option on the market, as well as the safest, healthiest and fastest tech available for cooking.

If you’re looking to spruce up your kitchen, your current cooktop is at the end of its life, or your gas cooker is the last remaining gas appliance in your home – an electric (ideally induction) hob should be something you look at.

Considering a switch? Know your numbers

  • Upfront costs

    Electric resistance cooktop (ceramic): around $1,420 including purchase price and installation.

    Induction cooktop: around $2,980 including purchase price and installation.

  • Savings*

    Including purchase, installation and energy costs, an electric cooktop could save the average household: 

    • $575-$9,380 over 15 years compared piped gas.
    • $2,100 over 15 years compared to bottled LPG.

  • Efficiency

    Electric cooking uses half as much energy as cooking with gas.*

  • Features

    • Low emissions
    • Low running costs
    • Fast heating
    • Safer

  • Lifespan of tech

    15 years

  • Install

    Should be installed by a professional.

Why choose an induction cooktop

The most common electric cooktops on the market are induction cooktops, or ceramic electric resistance cooktops. Both options offer many benefits over gas cooktops – and an induction cooktop has some advantages over ceramic.

  • Safer – Induction cooktops are by far the safest option. Instead of producing heat with an open flame or element, they work using electromagnetic energy – lowering the risk of burns by keeping the surface cool.
  • Easier to clean – The flat surface means spills are easily cleaned, and don’t get baked onto surfaces.
  • Faster – Studies have shown that induction cooktops can boil water 20-40% faster than electric resistance or gas cooktops.**
  • More control – Induction cooktops are highly responsive – and just might make you a better cook. They are the masters of changing temperature quickly, offering gentle heat or rapid boiling when you need it. 
  • More efficient – An induction cook top uses less electricity than a ceramic cooktop, and less than half the energy of gas or LPG, as it only uses electricity to heat the cookware directly, rather than via an element or open flame. Most can switch off automatically when not in use, saving you even more energy.
  • Lower emissions – Electric cooktops (including induction cookers) are powered by New Zealand’s highly renewable electricity grid, meaning very little carbon dioxide is emitted to power them. They can save around 2,000 kg of emissions over 15 years, when compared to gas or LPG.*

How induction cooktops work

Induction cooktops look similar to ceramic electric resistance cooktops, but work in an entirely different way – heating your pots through electromagnetic energy.

  • Electric resistance cooktops heat your pots and pans ‘indirectly’, using a burner or element to transfer (or conduct) heat energy to the pots and pans on top.
  • Induction cooktops produce an electro-magnetic field that heats up the pot or pan – essentially turning it into an element itself. This method means that you can heat your cookware almost immediately – with water reaching boiling point around 20-40% faster than with gas**.

How much can you save*

Compared to a piped gas water heating system, an electric cooktop can save the average household...

  • $5

    per year (energy costs)

  • $590

    per year (energy costs if gas connection is cut completely)

  • $575

    over 15 years (upfront and variable energy costs)

  • $9,380

    over 15 years (upfront and all energy costs if gas connection is cut completely)

Efficiency matters

Electric cooktops (including induction and traditional ceramic) are typically twice as efficient as gas or LPG options. This means that less energy is needed to achieve the same amount of heat in your pan – which saves money, reduces emissions and helps our national electricity supply go further.

Gas or LPG burners usually have an efficiency of around 30% – so only 30% of the energy is converted into heat.

In comparison, traditional electric cooktops have an efficiency of about 70%-80%. It is far more efficient to heat cookware directly instead of indirectly, so electric induction cooktops have an impressive efficiency of around 80%-90%.*

Common questions

It pays to go electric

Powering your home with efficient, electric appliances can save you in energy costs – and slash your carbon footprint.  

We’ve done the math on key household energy uses such as heating, water heating, cooking and driving. The numbers show that the most efficient electric options make sense financially – both in terms of monthly running costs and overall lifetime costs. 

Discover how your household might stand to benefit from going electric. 

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